


Into Her Keeping

by zinjadu



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Choices, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Female Friendship, Fix-It, Friendship/Love, Jedi Code, Male-Female Friendship, Unplanned Pregnancy, everyone is happy, except the bad guy, no one dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:49:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7847527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinjadu/pseuds/zinjadu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Ahsoka gets pregnant fic absolutely no one asked for!  After helping the rebels on Onderon, Ahsoka got a little too involved and winds up pregnant.  She defies and challenges the Jedi Order (with a little help from some friends) so she can make a choice about how she lives her life.  Whatever she decides that will be.</p><p>(I normally don't like these, but an scene popped in my head, and well, this happened.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Rex was not a man who was much given to worry.

 

Concern, thoughtful consideration, yes, but not worry as such. Worry was a rather pointless exercise for a clone trooper, even a clone captain. There was too much out of his control, and battle changed in seconds flat, so spending energy and time on worry never really made much sense to him.

 

But right now, now he was worried.

 

The commander came back from her adventure with those younglings, safe and sound, much to the general’s relief. And therefore, by extension, Rex’s relief as well, seeing as _he_ was the one who had to deal with Skywalker’s foul mood after being told, in no uncertain terms, that he was to proceed to the next engagement as ordered. Not that the general took it out on Rex or any of the men, but instead he had simmered with his frustrations.

 

It had made for uneasy conditions in command and control, to say the least.

 

Still, they had managed to win the battle and get sent home just in time to learn that the commander would be arriving on planet soon as well. They had gotten some details, and Skywalker had been unable to keep from sharing _some_ of the details of the whole debacle. His pride in his Padawan was clear to see, and if the man needed to boast, well, the 501 st was more than happy to hear about their commander.

 

Rex had not expected, however, to find the commander in the commander’s quarters. She never used them, instead preferring to stay at the Temple, though she came down to the barracks frequently. When he had asked her why, she shook her head and claimed it was nothing.

 

“With all due respect, sir, but that’s bantha poodoo,” he said flatly. “Your color is off, to say the least.” And it was. Her skin and lekku seemed dull and flat, and her lekku themselves were oddly still, subdued.

 

“Its just girl stuff, Rexter,” she sighed, waving her hand airily. “I just didn’t want any of the healers at the Temple bugging me, and I know you guys will let me ride it out in peace.”

 

He had accepted that at time, but that had been two days ago, and she hadn’t even come out of her room for long enough to regale the men with what happened on her waylaid mission with the Jedi younglings. Normally, she took any chance she could to tell tales, to lighten the mood and brighten the day of any _vod’e_ that happened to be around.

 

Definitely un-Commander Tano like behavior.

 

Considering what he knew, he had some options. One, he could press her on the matter, however, he was rather under qualified to address ‘girl stuff,’ so that was out. Two, he could comm the general, but he wasn’t sure how much more qualified the general was. Three, there was always Kix, and Kix could be discreet. Medical outranked command, but he’d rather not do that to the commander unless he had to.

 

So that left option four, and he wasn’t sure he liked that much either, but it was the best of a bad lot.

 

“Captain Rex, correct? How can I be of assistance?” the Mirialan girl asked in her soft voice, looking up at him as he met her at the door to the barracks. “I will admit, it is not often I am asked for, and by a trooper no less.”

 

“Thank you for coming all this way, Padawan Offee,” he said respectfully. He remembered this girl as more than little bit formal, though at least not stiff. “Its about the commander. She’s not been herself, and I was hoping you would be able to get to the bottom of it. She said it was… ‘girl stuff,’ and to be perfectly honest, ma’am, though the commander and I are friends, there are certainly some things I can’t help with.”

 

“Why did you not say it was about Ahsoka in the first place?” she asked, a little sharper than before. “I am not angry, Captain, please understand, but had I known, I would have come immediately. She is a dear friend.”

 

“My apologies, Commander,” he said, almost reflexively. “I’ll take you to her?”

 

“Yes, please,” the young woman said, and he escorted her through the sterile, pre-fabricated hallways. They entered officer’s country quickly, and thankfully didn’t encounter any of his brothers on the way. He pointed at her door, and Padawan Offee stepped up to it.

 

“I’ll leave you to it, then. When you’re ready to leave, let me know, and I can arrange transport…” he said, and then he caught the look on her face, the thoughtfulness in her eyes. A Jedi look, he knew.

 

“Stay, if you would, Captain,” she said, and then she looked at him, blue eyes unreadable. “I think you might be needed.”

 

Well, if that wouldn’t root him to the spot, nothing would.

 

Without waiting to see if he would stay, probably because she knew he would, she knocked.

 

“Ahsoka,” Padawan Offee called softly. “Ahsoka, its me, its Barriss. Your captain thought I could help cheer you up. Rather sweet of him, I think. Do you mind if I come in?”

 

“No,” came Ahsoka’s voice, sharp and hard. Very unlike the Commander Tano he knew. Frowning, Rex shifted his weight, not sure why he felt like he might have to fight soon, but he wasn’t one to ignore his instincts.

 

“Ahsoka,” Offee called again, a little more strident now. “We’re friends! I have not seen you in some time, this is ridiculous.”

 

“Oh, just _kriff off_! I don’t want to talk, and I don’t want to see anyone! I just want to be left alone!” Ahsoka yelled through the door, and that snapped something in Rex’s head. This _wasn’t_ his commander. Snippy, sarcastic, cocky, sure, all of that and more. But self-indulgent and petulant? Never.

 

With huff, Rex strode forward and keyed in a code, unlocking the door, revealing Ahsoka curled up on her bunk, glaring daggers at them both. But her eyes were shadowed, and her arms were wrapped protectively around her middle.

 

The door closed behind them.

 

“ _Go away!”_ she commanded, but they both stood their ground.

 

“If you really wanted us to go away, Ahsoka, you would have used the Force to do that,” Offee said coolly. His commander looked away at that, jaw clenched.

 

“I’m not going to do that to you, either of you,” she said. Then she closed her eyes, looking defeated for the first time he could remember. “Please, just go away.”

 

“Commander,” he said softly, edging closer to her like she was a shell-shocked civvie. He knelt next to her bunk, looking at up at her. “If you’re sick, if you’re in trouble, we’ll help. You don’t have to go through this, whatever it is, alone.”

 

“Captain Rex is correct, Ahsoka,” Offee said gently, sitting gingerly on the bunk. “We are your friends.” The older Padawan held out a hand and slowly, ever so slowly, reached for Ahsoka’s shoulder. Ahsoka cringed away at first, but she tolerated the touch.

 

Then Padawan Offee’s eyes widened in shock.

 

“Oh,” the young woman breathed, and something like understanding kindled in her eyes. Rex twitched an eyebrow at Offee, but she shook her head and then inclined it toward Ahsoka. That message was loud and clear. If he wanted to know, Ahsoka had to tell him; Barriss wouldn’t. He turned to his commander, his friend, and once again that thread of worry wormed through his belly.

 

“Commander… Ahsoka,” he said, “I’ve got your six. You know that. No matter what.”

 

She smiled then, a tentative smile, and she let out a shuddering breath. Something about that, seeing her recover herself, if only slightly, made it seem like things would be all right.

 

“I suppose I better get used to telling people,” she said wryly, recovering more of herself with every passing second. “I’m not sick, Rex, and what’s happened is, well… I’m pregnant.”

 

And then he felt like the world had dropped out from under him.

 

* * *

 

Ahsoka frowned at Rex. He looked like a frozen droid, almost. Just… sitting there, with this stunned expression on his face. Turning to Barriss, Ahsoka raised her eyebrow markings, pointing at her captain.

 

“He’s not broken, is he?” she asked, trying to put more levity in her voice than she actually felt. Barriss let out a little amused huff at that.

 

“I think you have shocked your poor captain,” Barriss said, taking hold of one of her hands.

 

“First time managing that,” Ahsoka said, half to herself, but clasping Barriss’ hand for all she was worth. “Hey, Captain. Rex. Rexter,” she said, nudging him, and he shook himself at her sharp jab, his golden eyes a little wild around the edges. Still, he managed to project a steadiness that she drew on for support.

 

“So. ‘Girl stuff,’ huh?” he asked, teasing. She fought the urge to push him over at that. Her face and lekku must be broadcasting her emotions, because Rex simply put his hands up in mock surrender.

 

“Sorry,” he said. “Like Padawan Offee said. Bit of a shock. You mind if I ask a few questions, or… I could leave, if you’d rather,” he offered. He didn’t look uncomfortable, not really, so she figured that the offer was if _she_ was uncomfortable with him being here.

 

“It’s alright, Rex. I… I trust you both, and I value both of your opinions. It’s a bit better, people knowing now,” she said. Barriss scooted close at that, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and Ahsoka leaned into it. Rex nodded sharply at her words, standing and pulling up a chair to sit down again, his forearms on his thighs. To some it might be an intimidating, intent posture. She knew it was Rex focusing, listening, paying attention.

 

Between them, her friends were more of a comfort than she had ever imagined, and she felt a little silly for shutting herself off. Maybe she could blame the hormones.

 

“I suppose the first question is the obvious one, but thinking about it…” Rex trailed off, then raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s the Bonteri boy’s, isn’t it?”

 

“ _Lux_ ,” Ahsoka stressed slightly, feeling a little frustrated that Rex called him a _boy_. She breathed out, trying to stay calm. “And yes. Lux and I… after everything that happened, I guess we just sort of happened. We were both hurting, and…”

 

“Oh, Ahsoka,” Barriss sighed, but she didn’t sound disappointed. Ahsoka had been deathly afraid that all her friends, everyone she knew would be disappointed in her, and she wasn’t sure she could have handled that.

 

“I’m not stupid, though. We used protection. Its not like I could ever forget Master Che’s sexual health classes,” Ahsoka said, with a small shudder. Barriss laughed at that.

 

“Yes, Master Che’s lectures were rather… hm, clinical,” Barriss said, and Rex shook his head. Though he was amused, Ahsoka could tell he was in ‘captain-mode’, trying to figure out how to handle the situation.

 

“No one said you were stupid, Ahsoka. Now, hard question. Do you want to keep it? We can go to Kix right now, and you know him. He won’t breathe a word,” Rex said, and she didn’t hear any judgment in his voice. Just the offer to help. Barriss, however, tensed beside her. Ahsoka knew the Jedi answer, but she would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of it.

 

“I am a Jedi, and I value life, all life, but I don’t think it’s… necessarily bad. Quality of life has to matter, right? And sometimes, well. Anyway, I just don’t think _I_ can do it,” she said. Rex leaned back in the chair, eyes doing distant, thinking.

 

“Ahsoka, you know you have to tell the Order,” Barriss said. “They will not let you keep it.”

 

“I know, and I’ve been thinking about that, too. I think that they don’t have a right to make that choice for me,” she said fiercely. “Yes, I remember Master Plo coming for me, and how happy my village was to see me go become a Jedi. But they knew there was no one there to train me, that I needed to go somewhere safe. And even _if_ it can use the Force, they would never, ever, let me get close. I’m not saying that I don’t want it trained, but that I don’t see why I have to pretend that a connection doesn’t exist, that I shouldn’t have the choice at all.”

 

Barriss withdrew from her at her outburst, eyes wide, shocked, and for all that her friend had become slightly more comfortable with unorthodox methods, this was a clear intent to breach the unspoken rules of the Order.

 

“This is insanity, Ahsoka,” Barriss said, a note of panic in her voice. “They could expel you from the Order if you refuse. All for what? So you can keep a child you don’t even know you want?”

 

“What I want is the chance to make the choice for myself. The Order won’t give me that,” Ahsoka reiterated firmly.

 

“I don’t… Ahsoka, I don’t want to see you go down a path I cannot follow,” Barriss said softly, closing her eyes tight, as though bracing for a grief yet to come. Ahsoka reached out and held Barriss’ hand, and the other young woman opened her eyes to see her friend smiling softly at her.

 

“I can’t say that I won’t, but I’ll do my best,” Ahsoka promised. Then she turned to her captain, who had been quiet, likely listening and learning and thinking while she had been trying to keep Barriss from running off to tell the Order immediately.

 

All she wanted was _time_. Time to process and understand. Time she might not have.

 

“Any ideas, Rex?” she asked. “You know the situation now, and what the rules are. What do you think?”

 

He leaned forward again, looking from her and then to Barriss, trying to take a measure of her fellow Padawan. Whatever he saw, he must have found it to meet some internal standard, because he nodded sharply.

 

“Right, the way I see it is if they don’t give you the order, you technically can’t disobey it,” Rex said carefully. “So, we find a way to go around them, rather than dealing with them head on. First step, and Ahsoka, you probably won’t like this, but we _have_ to tell the general.”

 

Ahsoka felt the panic rising in her chest at the very idea of telling Skyguy how badly she had kriffed this up. Then Barriss was there again, her arm around Ahsoka’s shoulders, and Rex patted her leg reassuringly.

 

“I suppose there’s a bright side to this,” Ahsoka said, putting on a brave face. “I finally get to shock _him_.”

 

* * *

 

“You’re _what?!_ ” Anakin yelled after his Padawan, his _sixteen year old Padawan_ , told him she was pregnant. “Who the hell is the father, so help me, I will _kill_ him.”

 

Ahsoka’s eyes widened at that, and Anakin instantly felt like backtracking. That was when the _second_ impossible thing happened. Rex, his reliable, no-nonsense captain, the man he trusted with his life, with all their lives, stepped up, and Anakin saw, he _felt_ the intent, but wasn’t fast enough to stop it.

 

“I am, sir,” Rex said, and for half a second, Anakin believed him. But he wasn’t a Jedi, and the Chosen One, for nothing.

 

“Nice try, Rex, but I can tell that you’re lying. Who are you protecting?” he demanded, stepping close to the other man, searching his eyes.

 

“You, sir,” Rex said simply, and took a step back. And it took Anakin a second to process what he meant by that. Ahsoka’s face was a thundercloud, and Barriss looked like she was ready to run right to the Council then and there. Sighing, running a hand through his hair, Anakin fought for control.

 

“Right, thank you. And I’m sorry, Ahsoka, I just. I’m meant to protect you, and…” he trailed off, feeling completely and utterly helpless.

 

“Skyguy, it’s not like you failed to keep me safe. _I_ made the choice that got me into this mess. It’s not up to you to take responsibility for this,” Ahsoka said, and he started to wonder when she got so wise. “I’m telling you because you are my Master, and my friend and I need your help.”

 

He felt like screaming a little, or a lot, but he clamped down on that. Instead, he crossed his arms and gave her his full attention.

 

“Alright, Ahsoka, what’s your plan?” he asked, like it was any normal mission they were going on.

 

Though, if he were honest with himself, he’d much, much rather be dealing with battle droids right now. Battle droids weren’t half the trouble they were all facing right now.

 

* * *

 

“So, just to be sure,” Padme said, looking at all of them. They had invaded her apartments early in the morning, before she had any appointments. She wasn’t even made up, and while the Jedi looked at ease, Captain Rex looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. Preferably somewhere his blasters would be of actual use.

 

“The plan is I ask the Council for Ahsoka’s services as bodyguard for a time, and hopefully Master Skywalker,” she said smoothly, raising her cup of tea in her husband’s direction, “can secure support for you to make your choice.”

 

“Exactly,” Ahsoka said brightly. Padme put the cup of tea down, and considered the young woman before her, thoughtful.

 

“I will visit often,” Padawan Offee said. “It is well known Ahsoka and I are friends, and there would be nothing odd about it. I can ensure she has proper medical supervision.”

 

“And, not to invite trouble, but what if that support is not forthcoming?” Padme asked. She knew how the Council worked to some degree, how it was even more steeped in tradition than the Queenship of Naboo, which was saying something.

 

“That’s where I come in, Senator,” Rex said. “We go to ground, if need be.”

 

“You would leave your post, Captain?” Padme said, and she caught Anakin’s angry look. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he subsided, trusting her. And Padme had to know, had to know what each person would be willing to do to help protect Ahoska’s choice.

 

“It’s my duty to serve my Jedi, and lead my battalion. The Commander is part of the 501st, as much as anyone, and her baby is, and will be, the most vulnerable part of it. The way I see it, ma’am, I’m just doing my job,” the captain said honestly, and Padme marveled at the mental hoops he jumped through to justify what would be, technically, desertion.

 

“Anakin,” she said, and then decided she didn’t care. “Anakin, Ahsoka, I am more than willing to help, and I will make the request of the Council. But, I ask that you have a better plan than ‘going to ground,’ if that’s the case. I can help, but we need to have a set procedure in place.”

 

“Oh thank the stars, I’m working with a professional!” Rex exclaimed, and smiled at her for the first time.

 

“Hey!” Anakin yelled. “I have plans!”

 

“Sir, please don’t make me say insubordinate things,” Rex said dryly. Padme smiled at that, and Ahsoka let out a sharp bark of laugher. Even Padawan Offee let a small grin escape her.

 

“We’ll work out a plan, Senator,” Ahsoka said earnestly. Padme reached out and held the young woman’s hand in her own. How easily could this be Anakin, trying to run and hide a relationship he should not have from the Jedi? Too easily, she knew.

 

“I know we will,” Padme said, and hoped she was right.

 

* * *

 

Ahsoka was starting wonder why males, when told that a woman was pregnant stared stupidly for a time. Though, she supposed Lux had more of a reason to have that particular reaction, since he was part of the reason why she was in this situation.

 

Padme had invited him to her apartments, on the pretext of going over some bill, but to give Ahsoka the time to tell Lux that he fathered a child.

 

_And oh, wasn’t that another argument with Skyguy,_ she thought, recalling Skyguy storming into Padme’s apartments, a ball of barely contained fury. They had actually yelled at each other, but in the end Padme had put her foot down and Skyguy had relented.

 

_“She has a right to tell him, and he has a right to know, Anakin! She’s doing what she thinks is right, and I happen to agree with her. Lux will not put her in danger any more than I would,” Padme said passionately, staring down the most powerful Jedi alive like it was an every day occurrence._

 

_“Fine,” Anakin barked, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat. “But if he… Augh! Fine. I’m outvoted. I’m always outvoted. I just hope you’re right.”_

 

Ahsoka smiled just thinking about it again. And about how they were really, really bad at hiding the exact nature of their relationship. But she figured that calling them on it now would be less than ideal. Anakin had enough to deal with. For now.

 

“Ahsoka, are you sure,” Lux said slowly, as though he was choosing his words carefully. “Are you sure about the course of action you’ve chosen? I know my family would be more than happy to give the child a home.”

 

“I know they would, Lux,” she said, drawing her mind back to the present. “And I don’t intend to keep it from you, but… we. That is I don’t think that _we_ ,” she said, and then didn’t know how to go on. How did you tell someone, someone you had made a child with, albeit accidentally, that you didn’t want to _be_ with them, to be co-parents.

 

“For what its work, I think you’re right. You and I… I care for you Ahsoka, and I know I will love the child, but, well,” he finished lamely, and on impulse, she took his hand and squeezed it briefly, that touch communicating much more than their faltering words could.

 

“What will you do, if Master Skywalker cannot secure you the time you need?” he asked finally.

 

“There’s a plan in place,” she said cautiously, and he seemed to accept the need for him to not know. She didn’t like the idea of running, and hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.

 

* * *

 

In the end, they had to run.

 

Anakin had realized that he had little in the way of friends and sympathetic ears on the Council, especially with Obi-Wan on his self-imposed mission to Mandalore. There was no one Anakin felt like he could turn to them and be perfectly certain Ahsoka would be safe.

 

He was at a commercial spaceport, Rex at his side. They were waiting for Ahsoka and Barriss. He had managed to get a message to the other Padawan, that they needed to run, and Barriss needed to bring Ahsoka to the ship. She had done much for Ahsoka, and at least she would do what she could to protect her friend’s desire to make a choice for herself.

 

He was pacing restlessly, and he knew it. Rex, however, somehow managed to maintain a soldierly calm. If there was nothing he could do about a situation, he didn’t let it get to him. Anakin envied him that ability.

 

“There, sir!” Rex said, sharp but soft in the relatively quiet area of the spaceport. Anakin looked up so fast, he was sure his neck wasn’t happy with him. And there they were, two small figures on a speeder bike.

 

_A speeder bike! In her condition!_ he thought.

 

The bike landed, and then Barriss helped Ahsoka down.

 

“Snips,” he said, and she smiled up at him, and he hoped, he prayed he was doing the right thing by her. At least it would be _his_ hide the Council would take it out on, not hers. She had done the right thing, bringing this to him.

 

“Skyguy,” she replied, “thank you.”

 

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything. He turned to Rex, and the other man nodded, heading up the gangway to prep the ship. Then he hugged her for all he was worth. She was obviously bigger around the middle now, and he had failed her. He hadn’t been the Master she had needed him to be to protect her.

 

Obi-Wan, for all his faults, had done that for him. Had protected him from external threats, and the Jedi Council itself on occasion. He couldn’t even manage that for his own Padawan.

 

“Its not over yet, Skyguy. You’ll find a way, I know you will. You always do,” she said. And he wasn’t sure what he had done to earn this faith, this trust, but he vowed he would not let her down, and he would not rest until she could come back home and not be forced to make an impossible choice.

 

“I promise you, Snips, I promise,” he said, and he wasn’t sure what he could promise. Any one promise was too little for her. Then he turned to Barriss.

 

“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “Master Unduli isn’t known for her flexibility with rules.” Barriss simply looked up at him, a bright and deep conviction in her eyes.

 

“No, she is not. But perhaps we all _should_ be. Ahsoka is my friend, and it is _my_ choice to help her,” Barriss said stridently. He couldn’t help but smile at that.

 

“Alright. Take care of each other, and try not to drive Rex crazy,” he said.

 

“No promises there, Skyguy,” Ahsoka said, and with that, she was on the ship and flying away. To where, he didn’t know. They had a comm channel set up, piggybacking off the Naboo chatter, but that was it. What he didn’t know, couldn’t put her in danger.

 

It was only two days later when Obi-Wan returned from Mandalore, and Anakin felt like raging at his former master for not being _here_. He went to find Obi-Wan, with every intent of getting him to help bring Ahsoka home, but then he saw his former master. He was thin, too thin, hallowed out and in _pain_.

 

But still, Anakin saw him put that pain aside as he entered the rooms.

 

“It is good to see you, Anakin,” his master said, and it sounded like the truth.

 

“It’s good to see you, too, Master,” Anakin said, taking a seat across from the other man. “If you don’t mind my asking… what happened?”

 

“Ah, I might tell you another time, Anakin, but not right now. Right now it is too… fresh,” he said, settling on that benign word when “painful” would have been more accurate. “Something troubles you, though. Is it something I can help with?”

 

And Anakin laid it all out on the table for Obi-Wan, without fear, without hesitation, because he hoped, that right now, Obi-Wan would understand the importance of protecting Ahsoka and her choices. When Anakin finished talking, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and sighed.

 

“She is certainly _your_ apprentice, Anakin,” he said wryly. “Had you brought this to me a year ago, or even before… Mandalore, I might have advised you to stop this foolishness. But… there, I saw, I realized, I missed something, I failed someone. All because of a choice I was unable to make. I would not see someone else suffer through that, because there are many roads to suffering, aren’t there? Perhaps we, as Jedi, have found suffering on the very road we took to avoid it in the first place.”

 

Then Obi-Wan turned to Anakin, looking at him with those knowing blue eyes.

 

“Let us bring our girl home, Anakin, and let it be a safe one for her,” Obi-Wan said, and Anakin did something he hadn’t done in years.

 

He hugged the other man, and for a wonder, Obi-Wan hugged him back.

 

* * *

 

It was their first night on Shili. They had taken a round about route to the planet, but when they had come up with this plan, they had to balance remoteness against the danger of a Seppie attack. Adding in Ahsoka’s familiarity with hunting on the planet, and Barriss finding out about these rundown, old hunting cabins, it had seemed perfect.

 

And Rex couldn’t help but feel out of place. When they had been on the ship, that was fine, but now. Now there was this strange little bubble of domesticity that he wasn’t used to. He recalled his time with Cut’s family fondly, but this had a different quality to it. Barriss looked after Ahsoka. Ahsoka was pregnant and expanding, and he… wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. Unless someone tried to hurt either of the young women. Then, then he knew _exactly_ what to do.

 

“Well, I was in trouble then,” Ahsoka said, and Rex pulled his attention back to her story. “Master Ti was _not_ happy with me, but then I had come back with akul-teeth, so the rules were clear.”

 

“So I see it was _not_ Master Skywalker who taught you to jump before looking,” Barriss said evenly, but there was a slight upturn at the corner of her lips. Ahsoka rolled her eyes, and swatted her friend playfully.

 

“Speaking of jumping without looking, she ever tell you some of the first things she said to me?” he asked, stretching his legs out as he sat on the floor near the fireplace, in front of the two women who sat curled up together on the couch.

 

“Rex, don’t you dare!” Ahsoka said quickly, her lekku flushing slightly. He grinned at her, and let her dangle for a moment.

 

“Maybe another time, eh?” he offered, and she huffed, sitting back and crossing her arms.

 

“I think that might be advisable, Captain,” Barriss said, and looked pointedly at Ahsoka, who was obviously tired, for all that she was putting on a good show.

 

“Right,” he said, and stood. Barriss easily stood as well.

 

“No, I don’t need…” Ahsoka started to say, waving both of them off, but she drifted off quick as anything. She was doing that more frequently. She had always been able to sleep at a moment’s notice, and for all that she was still mobile and energetic, come night she seemed to tire more readily.

 

Picking her up easily, he followed Barriss to the room the young women would share. He didn’t know why he did it, just that it seemed a shame to wake her up, and it seemed justified because she didn’t stir until he set her down on the bed.

 

“You should stay, Rexter. Warmer that way,” Ahsoka mumbled, and a panic hammered in his chest. He looked at Barriss quickly, and she paused thoughtfully, her lips pursed. Then she looked at him and shrugged, as if to say: _up to you Captain_.

 

“Ah, not enough space, Ahsoka, and I’m all elbows,” he said, and she huffed grumpily before rolling over and going back to sleep.

 

He wondered why she had asked that. It couldn’t just be for warmth. Maybe she was feeling lonely, but she had Barriss to cuddle up to. He didn’t think overmuch on the relationship between the women either. It was whatever it was. He wasn’t overly given to gossip or speculation, and it wasn’t really his business.

 

But the questions kept circling his mind, and didn’t help his sleep any. So, he thought that if he didn’t have any tasks, he could find some, and looked up how to fix up a drafty house.

 

* * *

 

There was a problem with group cohesiveness, Barriss had noted. While she and Ahsoka were good friends, and shared a measure of physical intimacy, and while Ahoska and Rex were also good friends, Barriss and the Captain still walked carefully around each other.

 

She was a well-trained healer, and for all that she knew how to address complex psychological and emotional issues, the Captain was a trooper, and troopers were, by and large, direct men.

 

So. The direct approach.

 

“Captain,” Barriss said, bringing him some water as he was fixing a few chinks in the lodge wall. He had been doing much to repair their domicile. She noticed that as soon as she or Ahsoka made an offhand comment about something, he was promptly fixing it, or it went it some queue of jobs that he had in his head.

 

“Thank you,” he said, and she noticed that he avoided using her name. Likely, by now, ‘Padawan Offee’ was too formal, but ‘Barriss’ was too familiar, and he was stuck without direction. He drank eagerly, and stood up, likely to go return the glass to the kitchen. A thoughtful man, he did not expect them to do ‘women’s work’ like some traditional humans did.

 

“Stay, a moment if you would, Captain,” she said, and he stopped, looking down at her quizzically. She was suddenly very aware that Rex was several things: one, male in a pleasing way; two, attractive; and three, shirtless for working in the warm sun. Barriss was not unaware that Ahsoka’s affection for the clone captain went beyond normal boundaries, and now she saw partly why.

 

“What can I do for you?” he asked politely, and she schooled her thoughts as she had been taught. Her head wasn’t normally turned by a male, and perhaps it was sheer proximity. Regardless, she had come here for a reason.

 

“I have noticed that you are not exactly comfortable around me, Captain,” Barriss started. “I would like us to try to be friends properly. I do not wish to live with someone and only know them as a friend of my friend.”

 

“It might help if you didn’t call me ‘Captain,’ but used my name,” he said, smiling, and though she could tell he was amused, it wasn’t at her expense, not exactly. Still, she felt herself blush slightly.

 

“Ah, yes, that would help wouldn’t it?” she asked, one eyebrow raised, poking a little fun at herself. “Then you should call me ‘Barriss’ then.”

 

“I suppose I should, Barriss,” he said, still smiling. “Thanks again for the water.” He tipped the glass at her in a salute, and walked back into the house, leaving her watching his muscles on his broad back and shoulders.

 

_Oh dear_ , she thought to herself, and made a note to talk to Ahsoka about this later. Once her friend was no longer pregnant and more than slightly territorial.

 

* * *

 

They were coming back from another hunt. They had only downed some game birds, but it would be enough. Between the supplies they brought with them, and rare times they sent Barriss in to the nearest village to buy things, they did alright, but Ahsoka needed to move, to feel the wind and the grass and life of the world around her, flowing through her and her baby.

 

And it was a chance to get out of the damned house they were living in. Not that it was a bad house, but it was a little dilapidated, an old hunting lodge from when Shili hosted akul-hunts for off-worlders. Before a few too many deaths curtailed interest.

 

“That was good shooting, Rexter,” she said brightly, moving swiftly in spite of her pregnant belly. Thank all the stars in the _universe_ she was Togruta and able to keep hunting practically until the end.

 

“That was good tracking,” he said, grinning. He actually looked comfortable in his civvies now, at ease with hunting and fixing up the house as best he could. It had been strange, living with Barriss and Rex. At times, it was almost like they were a real family, just living their lives, and she could forget that there was a war on, and that she and Barriss were meant to be Jedi and Rex was meant to be commanding his brothers in battle.

 

Sometimes, sometimes she dreamed that they could stay like this forever. But she knew that wasn’t going to happen. Anakin was working on the Council, with Obi-Wan helping he had said in his first comm check, and they would all have to face the consequences of their choices one day.

 

Likely soon.

 

“I sense someone,” Barriss said, coming out of the house at their approach, her head high. Ahsoka hated that being pregnant mucked up her ability to feel certain things through the Force, but she knew the drill. She took the birds from Rex and headed for the door.

 

“Is it who we’re expecting?” she asked, tense.

 

“No,” Barriss said, frowning. “It’s a trooper… someone… grey.”

 

“Rex,” Ahsoka started to say, but Rex was already heading out to intercept whichever one of his brothers was coming for them. She hoped he didn’t have to do anything he’d regret.

 

* * *

 

“That’s far enough,” Rex said, silently stepping out from behind the trees, his blasters trained on Wolffe’s back. Wolffe stood still, but a contained kind of still that spoke louder than words how quickly he could erupt into violence.

 

“Should’ve known you’d be here, _vod_ ,” Wolffe said flatly. “I’m here with my general. He’s not far behind.”

 

“In fact, I am right here, Wolffe,” Plo Koon said, and Rex felt his eye twitch. _Damned Jedi_ , he thought. There was little choice. He holstered his blasters and glared at them both. Once upon a time, Rex would have died before even _thinking_ about going against Jedi. Now, now he knew he would fight the galaxy for the people he cared about.

 

“Right. Barriss couldn’t sense you General Koon,” Rex said, by way of explanation. “Made the women edgy. Thought I’d sort it out before you arrived, just to make sure.”

 

“Most gallant of you, Captain, but I assure you I am only here to talk. There are many of us to whom Ahsoka is very… dear. I wish to hear her reasons from herself, if I may,” Koon said. Rex knew something of the man, and he knew enough to know that Koon was a straight dealer. If he was here to drag Ahsoka back to the Council, he wouldn’t be talking.

 

“I’ll take you to the house, then,” Rex said. “Follow me.”

 

* * *

 

“Little ‘Soka!” Master Plo said as soon as he saw her. He came to sit beside her, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Though, not so little, I see. You look well, and that is heartening to see.”

 

Ahsoka felt like bursting into tears right then. _Kriffing hormones_ , she thought. Not as encumbered as many other humanoid women, certainly, as susceptible to mood swings, yes.

 

“It’s good to see you, Master Plo,” she said, and he must have heard or felt something because he wrapped her in his arms, like he had done when she had been so small.

 

“It will be alright, ‘Soka,” he said. “It will be alright. You are not alone. Your Master and his Master have worked hard on your behalf, and there are many who they have convinced. And while there are some who will never be brought around, there are others who want to know, in your words, why you do this, why you defy tradition and received wisdom. I volunteered to bring your words back.”

 

Ahsoka took a breath, nodded and steadied herself. She noticed Master Plo didn’t say what side he was on, but she hoped that he at least wanted to hear her out.

 

“Master Plo, everything I’ve been through, its been making me wonder, and I think _this_ ,” she said, waving her hand at her middle, “has crystalized some ideas that have been in my head for a long time. I wonder, how can we protect people, protect the Republic, protect the galaxy, if we remove ourselves from it? If we don’t understand the experiences that others have, the choices they make. Sure, coming in, saving the day, changing lives for the better, that’s all great, but what gives us the right if we aren’t out there living in it too? Getting dirty, making mistakes and learning from them, just like anyone else?” Ahsoka said, all of her ideas pouring out of her in a rush.

 

She knew she had the reputation for being the Padawan who thought with her saber, then her mouth, and then maybe her brain. She knew this would sound strange to anyone, but she hoped that because it was Master Plo, he would hear her, really hear her, and try to understand.

 

He was silent for a time, considering, thoughtful. Some people might think him intimidating and hard to read, for the mask and the protective goggles. But from the moment she had met him, she had always sensed his kindness, his protective nature, his love.

 

It was what had made her, at three years of age, reach out for his hand on instinct. What had allowed her to fall asleep in his arms, and made her seek him out when she had been young and afraid of something and new to the Temple.

 

Then, although the baby made sensing emotions through the Force difficult, she could feel his pride in her, his love for her bloom anew.

 

“May I?” he asked, reaching his hand out, and she nodded. He touched her belly gently, and she could feel him using the Force to examine it, as Barriss did. Then Master Plo looked at her, and gave her his unique smile. “A strong one, this one. And one that will need its mother, I think, to keep it in line.”

 

“Thank you, Master Plo,” she said, and she felt like crying all over again.

 

“No, Ahsoka. Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for taking this risk and opening our eyes to what we have refused to see, to making us hear what we have refused to listen to. War… brings many changes, but not as much as life itself. It is a lesson we need to relearn.”

 

* * *

 

“I cannot help but notice there has been some… upset about your missing Padawan, my boy,” the Chancellor said. Anakin shifted slightly, trying not to feel uncomfortable at this line of questioning. The Chancellor had been his friend since he was small, but he wasn’t sure why the man pried into Jedi business all the time. Sure, he had to know how the army’s generals were thinking, but the turmoil around Ahsoka wasn’t going to seriously impact army effectiveness.

 

He had already reported on that to the older man, but he kept pushing.

 

It was odd.

 

But he had to say _something_ , and some niggling part of his mind didn’t want to upset his _oldest friend_.

 

“She’s… with someone I trust implicitly, sir,” he said. “She’ll be alright until we get her status sorted. Until then, I can carry on with the 501st normally.”

 

“Ah, very good, my boy, very good,” the Chancellor said, and walked him out of the office.

 

It was only later that Anakin wondered at why he had said anything at all, and why he had all but given away it was Rex who was with Ahsoka. But he didn’t think the Chancellor would do anything with the information. After all, he had other worries.

 

* * *

 

_It’s coming!_

 

Ahsoka’s eyes snapped open as she came awake immediately. She felt a pain in her middle, a constricting pain, and she knew this was it.

 

She was excited.

 

She was terrified.

 

“Barriss,” she said, “Barriss, wake up, the baby’s coming!” Barriss woke up like a shot, throwing off the covers, and gathering her medical supplies. Barriss had insisted on staying close, and Ahsoka had liked not being alone, though sometimes she wished Rex were there too. He still held himself a little distant from them, and she wasn’t sure why.

 

But while she was pregnant was not the best time to explore that puzzle, and it might have been pushing her friend a bit too far out of his comfort zone.

 

His comfort zone was about to get pushed now, however.

 

Sitting up, she threw her feet over the edge of the bed, and Barriss helped to get her down to the kitchen, where they kept a fire going. It was the warmest spot in the house, and the best place for this, they had decided.

 

“Rex!” Ahsoka yelled, and after about ten seconds, he was there, in his grey sleeping pants and a wild look in his golden eyes. But if he was afraid, he was keeping it well contained, and he took her from Barriss, supporting her weight easily. He kept her walking, walking through the contractions as Barriss kept checking on the baby.

 

“This is kriffing insane. This is so stupid. I shouldn’t even _be here_!” she yelled, and gripped Rex’s hand with all her strength. He didn’t even wince, but kept walking her up and down the kitchen, his other arm around her shoulders.

 

“Too bad, Commander. You’re in the fight now,” he said dryly, and she huffed, unable to deny the facts. Even if she really hated facts right now. _Kriff_ , but it hurt.

 

“Ahsoka, I need to check how far along you are,” Barriss said, and Rex helped ease Ahsoka down onto a chair covered in a sheet. Deftly, Barriss knelt between her legs and checked the dilation. Rex was studiously _not_ looking. Then Barriss looked up, an encouraging smile on her face.

 

“You’re already at six centimeters, Ahoska. This should be a quick one,” she said brightly.

 

“That’s something, eh, Rexter? Won’t have to carry me around for long,” she quipped. Then she noticed something was strange. Rex was staring at empty space, his eyes empty and distant.

 

“Rex?” she asked softly, reaching for him. Then he looked at her, looked at her like she was _nothing_ , like he was an akul and she was prey.

 

“Good soldiers follow orders,” he said, intent. And his hands came up, reaching for her, but then he screamed, a guttural, violent scream, and flung himself backwards, slamming into the wall.

 

“What the hell is going on?” Ahsoka asked, voice high and stressed. Then another contraction hit, and she curled up in pain.

 

“Rex, you need to help Ahoska,” Barriss said sharply, and then saw him backing away toward the door, like he was a cornered animal. She frowned. “Rex…”

 

“Good soldiers…” he panted, looking way. He slammed his head against the wall, gritting his teeth. Every line of his body was taught, like he was fighting himself. Then he looked at them again, his golden eyes as bright as a hawk’s.

 

“Kill the Jedi. Traitors,” he growled, and quicker than she would have believed, he snatched a blaster from the holster by the door. He stalked forward, aiming the blaster at her head, but his hand was shaking, hate and fear and anger and self-doubt warred in his eyes.

 

Barriss stood stock still at Ahsoka’s side, but ready to leap into action. Though their sabers were elsewhere, Barriss was already drawing on the Force. But she said nothing, out of concern that her intrusion would set him off.

 

“Rex,” Ahsoka gasped between contractions, and she felt tears running down her face. The pain from her body and the horror in her heart running down her cheeks. “This isn’t you. This isn’t _my Rex_ , please, Rex, why are you doing this?”

 

“Good soldiers,” he whispered, his finger on the trigger, and then, quicker than they could react, he swung the gun to his head and fired.

 

In spite of her pain, in spite of her confusion and fear, she reached through the Force, and she felt Barriss do the same, and they _pushed_ , and they both hoped it wasn’t too late.

 

“Check on him!” Ahsoka commanded, as another contraction hit. Barriss wavered for a moment, just a moment, but then rushed to inspect Rex. “Talk to me, Barriss!”

 

“He’s alive!” she called out. “I need to stabilize him and keep him under, just in case, but we turned that into a glancing blow.” Ahsoka was not a woman given to prayer, but in that moment, she thanked every god and goddess that would listen.

 

After a few moments, Barriss returned to her side, and Ahsoka spared her friend a thankful look. Her healing skills were being put to the test tonight, that was for certain.

 

“You’re going to have to push, Ahsoka,” Barriss said, kneeling before Ahsoka as she sat in the chair, her feet braced on some supports they had made for this. With a scream, she _pushed_ , and breathed, just like she had practiced. Barriss made more encouraging noises, kept talking to her, but it all blurred together in a haze of pain and pushing, and then, then her body felt empty and there was a high cry that pierced the night.

 

“It’s a girl,” Barriss said softly, handing Ahsoka a small bundle of cloth with a baby in it. Ahsoka cradled her daughter gently, drinking her in with her eyes. She was _perfect_. Bright blue eyes, the beginnings of montrals and lekku. Luckily, Togruta features were genetically dominant when compared to humans. Though her skin was paler than Ahsoka’s and her white proto-markings were less clear.

 

“Hello, little one,” she said quietly, overwhelmed with _love_. A fierce love, a huntress’ love.

 

“What will you call her?” Barriss asked, wiping her hands clean, now that she had finished cleaning up Ahsoka.

 

“Ne’len. Ne’len Tano,” she said, one finger tracing the curve of her daughter’s cheek. Barriss smiled and stood behind Ahsoka, looking down at the little miracle that was a newborn being.

 

“Welcome to the galaxy, Ne’len Tano,” Barriss said, and on impulse, kissed Ahsoka on the forehead, and Ahsoka closed her eyes, wondering how much change this future might bring, but grateful that she had those she loved beside her to face it with her.

 

* * *

 

Rex woke up slowly, feeling like he’d hit his head.

 

Then he remembered. He hadn’t hit his head. Rather, he had _shot_ himself in the head. Because he had gone mad. Something had told him to kill Ahsoka, to kill Barriss, kill all the Jedi. Like a switch had been flipped in his brain.

 

He felt like throwing up just remembering it, pointing the blaster at Ahsoka, screaming inside his own mind as the killer in him didn’t care about her tears, her pleading, calling him _her Rex_. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die, but since he didn’t have one handy, he got up.

 

Padding out of his room, he found Ahsoka and Barriss sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, a baby between them on a blanket. They were taking turns cooing over it. They both looked up at his entrance, and he froze.

 

He didn’t know why they’d bothered to save him, after what he’d done, and seeing that helpless infant, he felt his guilt burn him anew.

 

“Ahsoka, Barris, I’m… I don’t, I…” he stumbled, lost for words, nothing what he could say would be enough, and each word stuck in his throat, a jagged, insufficient thing.

 

“It wasn’t your fault, Rex,” Ahsoka said, and reached a hand out for him. Like a magnet, he let himself be drawn to her and take her hand. She drew him down until he was sitting between her and Barriss. Then Barriss took his other hand, and smiled warmly at him as well, which made him feel more off balance than ever before.

 

“I was able to find the reason for your actions, Rex,” Barriss said, and held out a strange thing. It looked like a clump of cells or a chip, and looking closely, he saw it was a bastard combination of the two.

 

“What the kriffing hell is it, and why was it in my head?” he asked sharply, then he looked at the baby. “Um, sorry?”

 

“Its okay, according to Barriss, she won’t remember that,” Ahsoka said laughing.

 

“Okay, good, wait,” he said, focusing on Ahsoka. “She? It’s a little girl?”

 

“Yes,” Ahsoka said, gathering up her daughter in her arms. “Her name is Ne’len. Do you want to hold her?” Rex stared down at the baby, feeling a mixture of all sorts of things, too many things to parse out. But when he said nothing, Ahsoka unceremoniously shoved the baby at him, and he caught and held her, almost by reflex.

 

There, in his arms, was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. A tiny being, new to the galaxy, so small, so fragile, and seeming to contain all the possibilities in existence at the same time. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. It wasn’t really at him, he knew that. She was too young to focus properly, but looking into those blue eyes, Rex knew he loved this girl like no one and nothing else. He felt like his heart would burst in his chest with the feeling.

 

“She’s perfect,” he breathed. Ahsoka scooted closer to him, leaning against him, and traced the lines of her daughter’s face. He had been avoiding being physically close like this with both of the young women, and now he wondered why he had even tried to stay away. They were a little family, because for all that he had three million brothers, that didn’t mean he couldn’t have something for himself, too.

 

“Glad you agree with me,” Ahsoka said. She seemed content to stay there, and he wasn’t about to tell her to move. But he knew they couldn’t stay like this forever.

 

“So,” he said, still holding Ne’len and enjoying the feel of Ahsoka cuddled up next to him. “What do we do about that thing?” he asked, inclining his head at the chip Barriss held.

 

“Ahsoka and I have discussed that, and it seems we must return to the Temple,” Barriss said, in that matter of fact tone she had. “The Order _must_ be told, and we must determine several things about this chip. For one, does every clone have it? We think it likely, but it would be good to be sure. For another, why? Why would you and your brothers have a chip like this, designed to destroy the very army that’s protecting the Republic?”

 

“Sabotage the army. Someone inside the Republic is trying to destroy it from within, someone who had a lot of reach, even back at our creation,” Rex said, and felt sick all over again. He had fought hard to make sure he and his brothers were recognized as men, not just tools, but clearly they had always been intended as such. “But what about Ne’len? Won’t she be in danger of being taken from you?”

 

“Yes, yes she will,” Ahsoka said, and there was a horrible ache in her voice at that admission, and Rex tightened his grip on the girl. He wasn’t even her biological father, and he didn’t want to let her go. Then again, he had learned that family was more, much more than blood. “But I can’t sit here, with the information we have, and the proof of it, out of fear for myself, or her. It’s not right. I can’t… I can’t put myself or even my daughter over the lives of the _vod’e_ , the Jedi and the entire Republic. It’s my choice, and I’ll face the consequences.”

 

“Not alone,” Barriss said, scooting closer, and she formed the last leg of a triangle between them, sitting comfortably with her legs touching theirs, her one hand gripping Ahsoka’s tightly, while her other rested on Rex’s knee. Rex had the distinct feeling that a lot of things had been decided in his absence, and he tried to be upset about it. He failed.

 

“No, never alone,” he agreed, and that night, they curled up together, Ahsoka holding her daughter to her with Rex and Barriss to either side, safe and warm. It was the best nights sleep Rex could remember having in a long time.

 

* * *

 

Ahsoka had avoided another argument with Anakin by simply not telling him about her arrival. In fact, she had told no one. The information they had was too sensitive to risk on their back-channel comms. More, whoever triggered Rex’s chip, likely hoped that she, Barriss and Rex were safely dead. So they opted to stay that way to all appearances.

 

They had left the morning after she had given birth, and even though she was a Togruta, and built to give birth and be on the move quickly afterwards, twelve hours was cutting it a bit short. As such, she had slept through most of the journey, but now she was on the bridge, putting in Jedi codes into the broadcaster, hoping that whoever was watching them would see the codes and at least pause before shooting them down.

 

For a tense several seconds, nothing happened, and they all held their breath. Barriss held Ne’len close, cocooning the baby in a calming, soothing Force sending. Ahsoka was really going to need to learn that trick, but for now, they all had their jobs.

 

“ _Wayward,_ you are cleared for landing,” control said. “You may land in the private bay, as requested.”

 

“Glad those codes still work,” Ahsoka said, and Rex shot her a frustrated look. “What?”

 

“Do I want to know how often they change the codes?” he asked sharply.

 

“Probably not,” Barriss said, and Ahsoka felt her lukku flush. Rex huffed, but landed the ship neatly, and they cautiously walked to the hatch. This would be it, the moment of truth. They could take Ne’len away from her, from her family, by all rights, and she could do nothing about it. But she still judged this worth the risk, even though Anakin hadn’t commed them for the go-ahead to come back.

 

As the hatch opened, they were greeted by only Master Yoda, who stood with his grimer stick before him.

 

“Master Yoda,” she said, bowing slightly. “Thank you for meeting us.”

 

“Miss this, I would not,” he said, and then his ears perked up as he looked at Barriss, who still held her daughter. “See the child, may I?”

 

“Of… of course, Master Yoda,” she said, and took Ne’len from Barriss’s arms. Barriss seemed and felt as serene as ever, trusting in Yoda’s wisdom, as Ahsoka herself did, at least most of the time. That he was here alone could be in their favor… or not. With Master Yoda it paid to hedge your bets, Skyguy always said.

 

As she stepped forward, however, she felt Rex’s anxiety spike dangerously, and all three Jedi looked at him. When he noticed the attention, he quickly got himself back under control, but he couldn’t disguise the tension in his jaw or the intensity in his eyes.

 

“Harm the child, I will not, Captain,” Master Yoda said calmly.

 

“Didn’t think you would, sir,” Rex said tersely. Master Yoda looked at him for a long moment, hmmm’d under his breath but then turned back to Ahsoka.

 

She knelt before the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, and held her baby for him to see. Gently, he tugged down her swaddling to get a better look at her face, and he smiled, his ears wiggling with joy. Then he closed his eyes and held his hand above her, sensing, searching, for what Ahsoka knew to some degree, but also likely for things only a Grand Master would know to look for. Opening his eyes, he smiled at her, and the niggling worry in her belly stilled.

 

“Remarkable she is. Remarkable you are, all of you,” he said, looking at each of them in turn. “Much work your Master and his Master have done for you, for her, but early you return. Why, I wish to know. Come, speak in my chambers we will. Then, hold her I may, yes?” he asked finally, a grandfatherly eagerness in his eyes and his voice, and Ahsoka smiled.

 

“Of course, Master Yoda,” she said easily. And they made their way to his rooms, which she had never seen. Some things were even beyond the limits of youngling pranks.

 

Yoda settled himself on his chair, putting his grimer stick in front of him, and she took in the rooms. They were simple, small, of course, and even she felt too large for the area. Rex took up a post by the door, doing his best to keep his emotions contained, but Ahsoka could sense his nerves. Barriss did her best to steady their captain, sending a thread of calm to him through the Force, and he shot her a grateful look.

 

“Named her, have you?” Yoda asked, and Ahsoka handed her daughter to the small being. Deftly, he held the baby like he had done this before. She knew Yoda delighted in teaching younglings, but it had never occurred to her if he had much experience with babies. Clearly, he did.

 

“Ne’len Tano,” she said, unable to keep from touching her daughter, playing with her hands. Her daughter reached out, by instinct, and gripped her finger tightly, making Ahsoka smile and feel another burst of love for this tiny thing that turned her life upside down.

 

“A good name that is,” Yoda said, and touched her daughter lightly on the nose. He chuckled at her wide-eyed consideration of him. “Strong she will be. Training she will require, but first your story I would hear.”

 

And so Ahsoka spoke. She started from the beginning, from learning she was pregnant, to Barriss and Rex dragging the truth out of her, and Barriss joined in the explaining then. They spoke about keeping Ahsoka out of sight, about Padme’s involvement, and then, finally, running to Shili. Deciding to lay all her cards on the table, she admitted that Master Plo had come to see them, and she repeated her reasons for Master Yoda.

 

Throughout it all, Yoda nodded and listened, asking questions only to clarify the flow of events. Then, then they came to the night she gave birth and the night that Rex tried to kill them. Growling, still clearly feeling guilt for actions he couldn’t control, Rex spoke about what it was like, to be aware of his actions, but feel like another will was overriding his own. Then Barriss produced the chip for Yoda to examine.

 

When she did, he stilled completely. Before he would take it, he handed Ne’len back to Ahsoka, and touched the chip gingerly.

 

“A tool of the dark side, this is,” he said grimly, and looked at Rex with that ageless wisdom and compassion that had comforted generations of Jedi. “Blame yourself, you must not Captain. A more valiant soldier, there is not. _Your_ love, it was, that saved you all. See that, I do.” Rex shifted uncomfortably at the frank appraisal, but held to his training.

 

“Thank you, sir,” he said, “It… Barriss, Padawan Offee that is, told me that it controlled me, but it helps to know that I fought it, even partly. But I need to know, sir. Can we save my brothers? They… they could have this in their heads, too.”

 

“Think it likely, I do,” Yoda agreed. “Understand this we must, and move quickly. This chance we cannot waste. Padawan Offee, to Master Che you must go. Of vital importance neutralizing this chip is.”

 

“Yes, Master Yoda,” Barriss said, “I will go once I know how Ne’len will be treated.”

 

“Hm, invested in this child, all of you are. But time for this we do not have. With her mother the child will stay, for now,” Yoda said decisively, handing her daughter back to her. “I see also, that come back to the Temple you need not have done. A mark in your favor that it is, but much needs to be done first. Understand, do you?”

 

“We understand Master Yoda,” Ahsoka said, feeling grateful for the chance she was being given, and for her friends who would put so much at risk for her.

 

“Good, now,” he started to say, and then Ahsoka felt the towering inferno that was her Master in a rage. He was approaching fast and hard, throwing open the door to Master Yoda’s chambers.

 

“ _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!_ ” he demanded, and then she could feel him bring himself up short as he saw her sitting next to Master Yoda, her daughter in her arms. He blinked.

 

“Ahsoka… _What the kriff are you doing here?!_ ” he yelled, his blue eyes leaping from person to person in the small room.

 

“Long story, Skyguy,” she said. “Well not long, but complicated. Why are you so angry, Master?”

 

“You’re dead! Or, I got a report that you were dead,” he said, and then looked at Rex and Barriss, a panic rising in him. “All of you were dead. With lightsaber wounds on your bodies.”

 

“Sir, where did you get that report?” Rex asked carefully, one hand gently laid on his general’s shoulder. Rex saw all the signs of intense battle stress, but never thought to see them like this in his general.

 

“The Chancellor,” Anakin said in a small voice. “But I don’t understand. Why… why would he tell me you were dead?”

 

And Ahsoka felt the pieces fall together in her mind. It was terrible and brilliant and vile and almost impressive if it hadn’t been costing hundreds of thousands, millions of lives, untold destruction and the ruination of peace.

 

“Answers you will have, young Skywalker,” Yoda said firmly. “Answers we all will have.” Then they all saw how quickly the Jedi Order could move when the enemy overplayed his hand.

 

* * *

 

It was a quiet end to the war. The healers at the Jedi Temple, along with the top civilian experts, engineered a virus that would target the chips. It was released in the most innocuous way they could think of: the trooper’s dessert rations. Something every trooper was guaranteed to consume, and something no one thought twice about.

 

After a few tests to see if the chips were deactivated, the Jedi moved on the Chancellor.

 

Anakin, after his mind had been cleared of the Chancellor’s Sith control, was all for a head on attack, but that was ruled out. It was clear that giving the man any time to prepare was ill-advised, and likely to result in collateral damage. More, they needed him to be exposed for what he was. The Jedi could not risk to be seen as usurping the Senate.

 

So they gave him an opportunity that was too good to pass up, an opening he would be compelled to take. They moved out of position, affected loss and confusion throughout the entire Order. And Anakin dangled himself in front of the Chancellor, letting his rage _at_ the man who had pretended to be his friend appear as rage at the Jedi.

 

And like a Sith, unable to see weakness and not _pounce_ , the Chancellor struck. But they were waiting for him. When Order 66 went out, every last clone frowned, blinked and recoiled in horror as they _knew_ what the order was, but lacked the compulsion to carry it out. There was some confusion, but all the commanders had been briefed and were able to keep control of their men.

 

Then the Jedi came for Palpatine, by request of Bail Organa, head of the Security Committee, who had been secreted in a security room to witness the Chancellor of the Republic personally order their army to kill their generals.

 

There was no trial, Sidious forced a fight, a fight that was broadcast, and the whole galaxy saw the apparently mild-mannered man from Naboo turn into a psychotic monster. The galaxy cheered when Mace Windu struck him down.

 

With that, the Republic Senate began earnest peace talks with the Separatists. The Republic would not be the same, but neither would it fall apart. Many said that in time the Republic would be whole again, and made better than before. And the Jedi began to gratefully put away their swords and return to the business of keeping the peace and assisting in relief efforts.

 

And of course, Padme Amidala, the Senator from Naboo, spearheaded the effort to deal with a three million man clone army that suddenly had no reason to exist. There was the dangerously advanced aging to correct, the Kaminoans to investigate for complicity, and a thousand other details.

 

But there was only one right now that Ahsoka cared about. She stood before the Jedi Council, her daughter in her arms. Barriss and Rex were outside, Anakin allowed in as a concession to the fact that he was her Master. She held her head high, and knew that whatever came, she wasn’t alone. Arms tightening on her daughter, she reiterated that fact in her head: never alone.

 

“Padawan Tano,” Master Windu began, leaning back in his seat, that edge of intensity still there but banked. “Even considering you did not defy any direct order, you have expressed an intent to flout tradition and put yourself, your friends, and your child on a path that could lead to the darkness we have only narrowly avoided.”

 

“Yes Master Windu, I have,” she said, though he asked no question, it was implied. Rather than stand and take her lumps, she would fight to the end.

 

Oddly, her answer to the unasked question made Mace Windu almost, _almost_ , grin.

 

“You have proven yourself on the field, Padawan,” Master Tiin said, and she turned to face him. One of the traditionalists, along with Master Mundi. “However, this… this is unacceptable. The child has the Force, and you _will_ hand her over for training as is proper. We have raised thousands of Jedi over thousands of years, and have never wanted for mothers.”

 

Ahsoka’s widened at that remark, and everyone must have felt the spike of anger and frustration from Anakin. Obi-Wan coughed, drawing attention to himself, and everyone relaxed as Anakin did.

 

“Perhaps, Master Tiin, it is impossible to want what we never know. Perhaps that is the wisdom behind refusing to train those who are too old,” he said, and if Ahsoka didn’t know better, she would have said he was about to side with the traditionalists. “And yet, what do we miss for not knowing? What do we lose when we cannot understand? Perhaps in some circumstances, bringing younglings here to train is the best option, especially when Force sensitive children can be subject to many abuses. But ‘some’ is not ‘all’, Masters.”

 

“Are you saying we should allow this, Master Kenobi?” Master Mundi asked, incredulous. “I am aware that some of you think that I should not forbid this, as I have daughters of my own. However, I do not play father to them. I beget children for my people, not to build a family. Family is for those who do not have the responsibility we must shoulder. Family impairs judgment.”

 

“Show me the being with completely unimpaired judgment, Master Mundi,” Master Tii challenged, her expression too calm to be how she actually felt. She had taken the betrayal of the clones hard, and had been campaigning hard on their behalf. And to have the Kaminoans shut down and expelled from the Republic.

 

“I agree with Master Tii,” Master Fisto said, his black eyes lacking their usual mirth. “We are all of us impaired, imperfect.” Then a thought seemed to strike him and his eyed danced again. “If Ahsoka walks into this with eyes open, we should not deny her the chance. Let her be the test case. On her, we will balance the future of the Order. Her and her child.”

 

“A dangerous plan,” Master Plo said, and Ahsoka could hear some disapproval in his tone. He never did like risking innocents. But Ahsoka was hardly innocent. Her child was another matter. “We cannot wager all on a single case. And is it fair to them, to place so much weight on shoulders such as theirs?”

 

“I have been trusted with the lives of troopers since I was fourteen,” Ahsoka reminded them all. “How is a child any different?”

 

“Because, perhaps, she is _your_ child?” Master Tiin pushed her. And she drew herself up, and all but glared at him.

 

“And they are _my_ brothers,” she said. Then she took a turn of the room, catching eyes and thinking about Barriss who still faced her own disciplinary hearing, about Rex who was likely ready to charge the Council for all of them. She couldn’t fail them, not them, not Anakin, who should get to live with Padme in the open, and for Ne’len. Who should not have to face impossible choices.

 

“Masters,” she continued, modulating her tone slightly. A touch more respect never hurt. “I understand what you fear. And yes, it is fear. We as Jedi have feared much for very long. We have feared attachment, and thus we have feared love, but love saved my life, saved Barriss’ life, saved my daughter’s life. Love is the reason we had a chance to end this war and expose the Sith that had been pulling all of our strings for years. Loving and letting go, Masters, I know all about that. I’ve watched my brothers die, I’ve held them in my arms as they did, and I’ve fought on. I’ve lost friends because some… people wanted to hunt us, but I didn’t lose my way and I didn’t give up. I know what it is to love and to let go. And one day I will have to let my daughter go, I will have to let her go out into the galaxy and live her own life. But doesn’t have to be yet.” She looked at Master Yoda, then, as if to impress upon him all she had said, and then looked down into her daughter’s eyes and whispered, “Not yet.”

 

Silence resounded then, as the Masters of the Jedi Council processed all they had heard, all they had argued, and all that they felt was right and true. Though, what was right and true for one was not the same for another.

 

The sound of Yoda’s grimer stick hitting the floor broke them all out of their own thoughts. Slowly, carefully, the Grand Master walked forward to where Ahsoka stood. He gestured, and she knelt. One small hand reached out and touched her shoulder, and he smiled.

 

“Admit when wrong I have been, I can,” he said, paying no mind to the angry mutters this began to generate. “Long I sought to find a way to protect the Jedi, to keep our Order alive. See now that I have restricted it too tightly. From a garden a forest cannot grow. Hmm, yes.” Then he tapped his stick sharply on the floor, and nodded to her. Ahsoka stood while Yoda regained his seat.

 

“Come back to us, put herself at our mercy, Padawan Tano need not have done,” Master Yoda began. “Placed the needs of others before herself she has. Much has she thought on our ways, and insightful she is. Into her keeping, we shall trust the child. Review our traditions, we _all_ will.”

 

There was an uproar at that, the traditionalists vehemently arguing, presenting their points, and the reformers were arguing back, but in the middle of that storm, Ahsoka noticed a couple of things others missed. One, Yoda winked at her. Honestly winked. While she was recovering from that, Anakin caught her up in a brief but fierce hug.

 

“I’m so proud of you, Snips, and glad you’re back,” he said, and looked down at her. She smiled up at her Master, her friend, her erstwhile older brother.

 

“Thanks, Skyguy. I guess the next step is to get them to accept you and Padme, huh?” she asked, unable to help herself after all this time. So that was the second thing they all missed: Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, sputtering indignantly at his Padawan about being a nosy barve.

 

She wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

* * *

 

In the end, it came down to _forms_. Rex felt that was a bit anti-climactic, but he supposed forms was what made the galaxy go around. A lot was going on. Citizenship for the troopers came from one of several planets. The 501 st got theirs from Naboo, of course, and they were starting to realize that they had to find things like jobs. A fair few were going to go to school or go into a trade, or just make art.

 

Rex had opted, like many of the commanders and captains and ranked men in the army, to stick close to the Jedi. Having trooper back-up for some situations had meant the difference between life and death for Jedi out there, and more than a few commanders simply refused to be parted. Still, he hoped the general, Anakin (and wasn’t _that_ something to get used to), wasn’t too upset that he chose to backup Ahsoka instead of him.

 

So he had filled out his citizenship form, and lodged his request to continue to serve the Jedi, but the form that stopped him in his tracks was the one Ahsoka had given him to fill out.

 

“You don’t have to,” she said quickly, “if you don’t want to. But… I mean, you were there, and you love her, and I know there’s a lot of things we all need to work out and talk about, but…”

 

“I’ll do it,” he said, breaking into her stream of verbal nerves, and took the data pad from her. He gave her a tentative smile, and looked down.

 

It was all there. Youngling Name: Ne’len Tano. Biological Mother: Ahsoka Tano, with a little box checked by it, indicating that Ahsoka was the primary parent. Biological Father: Lux Bonteri. Then there was another line below that. Co-Parent 1: Barriss Offee. And then there was a space where she wanted him to be, Co-Parent 2.

 

Looking at the form, he could see it accommodated almost every imaginable, and some unimaginable family structures. Still. She wanted _him_ to be the listed co-parent. Something about that, about all of it, made him feel like the luckiest man in the whole damn galaxy. He picked up the stylus, and then looked back up at her.

 

“Barriss is okay with this?” he asked, tapping the stylus on the side of the data pad.

 

“Yes, Barriss is more than happy to co-parent with you, Rex,” Ahsoka said, and there was something in the way she spoke that gave Rex a little shiver.

 

“And um, what about Bonteri, I mean Lux?” he asked, and he worried that his questions were starting to annoy her, but he had to know. He had only ever been a trooper, and this… he didn’t know if this could be taken from him or not. He had to know.

 

“Lux and I talked, and we agreed that he could come and see her whenever he likes, and that we might take a trip, as a _family_ , mind you, to see Onderon when she’s older,” she said, and then she tilted her head to one side, in that way she did when she was sensing his emotions. He had once thought that horribly unfair, but then, he used her lekku the same way, so he supposed it evened out.

 

“Rex, Lux and I are friends, just friends, and I don’t want anything more than that from him. I have all the family I need with you and Barriss and our daughter,” she said. And Rex noticed that she had said _our_ daughter. He grinned at that.

 

“There’s some words, I’d like to say for Ne’len, if that’s the case. It’s a Mando’a tradition. It’s not much, but it’s all I have…” he started to say, but Ahsoka pressed a hand to his chest, forestalling the rest.

 

“You have so much to give her, Rex, and she's a lucky kid to have you love her,” she said, and he nodded, turning his attention back to the data pad before he said something else stupidly emotional.

 

So he signed it.

 

Co-Parent 2: CT-7567 “Rex”


	2. Coda: Five Years Later

“Momma!” Ne’len cried, “Emel and Buir are coming home!” She was so proud of herself, because she had sensed them coming from so far away. Her momma turned to look at her, the tattoos on her green skin stretching with her smile.

 

“Well, we should gather up Serea and Coric from the crèche now, shouldn’t we?” her momma asked, and Ne’len bounced up and down with excitement. She loved her sister and brother _now_ , of course, but she remembered she had been so scared when Momma, Emel and Buir told her about the baby in Momma’s tummy. Ne’len knew that Buir wasn’t her _biological_ parent. That was Lux. But she had been so afraid that they would love the baby more than her, because the baby was really part of the family, not like her.

 

Then Buir had sat her down and told her, told her about the words he had said over her when she had been too small to remember, and he even said the words again. Special, just for her. They meant that he was her Buir, and that blood didn’t matter because she _was_ his daughter, in every way that really mattered, because he loved her.

 

She had felt better after that. Then Serea and been born, all cute and olive green, and she decided that she loved her baby sister. That had made it easier when they told her about Emel, a year later, having a baby in _her_ tummy. That had been Coric, and Coric was cute too, and looked like her a lot, except he had golden eyes like Buir, and darker skin.

 

“Ne’len, are you ready?” Momma asked, and she danced with eagerness to go.

 

“Yes!” she called out, and trotted along side Momma to the crèche, where the babies played together. There were _lots_ of babies. And Aunty Padme was there!

 

“Aunty!” Ne’len said, and ran up to the small, human woman. “Emel and Buir are coming home! That means Uncle Ani’s coming home, too right?” Her Aunty smiled and laughed.

 

“I certainly hope it does,” Aunty said. “I was just getting the twins to take them home for the day anyway. Maybe we can come greet them with you and your mother, hm?”

 

“Oh! I’d like that!” Ne’len said excitedly, and helped get all the babies ready, even if Serea wasn’t really a baby anymore. She was supposed to go into a youngling clan soon, like Ne’len was. It would mean less time in their family chambers, but Ne’len hoped Serea would be put in her clan. It would be fun, and they could play a lot together.

 

After what seemed like _forever_ , they were in the docking bay, waiting for the ship to land. Ne’len liked watching ships land. They were so _huge_ and they landed as gently as butterflies on flowers. She wanted to be a pilot one day _and_ a Jedi, like Uncle Ani. Then the hatch was opening, and there they were!

 

Running, she launched herself at her emel’s legs, throwing herself bodily into her legs. Laughing, her emel picked her up with a grunt.

 

“You’re getting a bit big to pick up, kiddo,” Emel said with a huff, but she was smiling, so Ne’len supposed it was alright. They started walking down the gangway, and Uncle Ani was already saying hello to Aunty Padme and their babies. Ne’len thought Luke and Leia were cute too, but not as cute as _her_ brother and sister.

 

“Come on, Ahsoka, she weighs barely anything,” Buir said with a smile, and took her from Emel, bouncing her up and down, making her laugh. “Yup, barely anything.”

 

“Its not the weight, it’s the limbs. She’s so damn long,” Emel said.

 

“Language!” Ne’len said, and Emel rolled her eyes. Buir laughed and set her down, giving her a nudge to run ahead of them. Then they reached the bottom, and Emel and Buir both gave Momma a kiss and said hello to the babies.

 

Ne’len talked non-stop as they headed back to their chambers. She would have to go back to her clan tomorrow morning, but tonight she would get to have dinner with her family and sleep cuddled up next to her siblings, and feel content knowing that Emel, Momma, and Buir were all home and together.

 

She was vaguely aware that they were unusual in the Jedi Temple. A new thing. There were one of a bare handful of families, Uncle Ani and Aunty Padme being another one. But none of that mattered to her, because she woke up every day and knew that she was loved.

 

She wasn’t sure what else really mattered about any of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a: Buir = parent/father/mother
> 
> "Togruti": Emel = mother


End file.
